let me clear my throat

i feel like i have a lot on my chest. i liked what mitchell said in class today about blurring social issues and govermental issues. and i liked what jaime said about the unconsitutionality of issues, like banning gay marriage. i am moved by how upset everyone is about the results. i am upset. i am deeply saddened. i am afraid that religion will begin to play too much of a role in government. it should play none. but how do you govern with your ethics and morals when those ethics and morals are defined by your religion?

today i heard a radio clip, so this could be out of context, but the announcer said that a lot of evangelical christians had come out and voted. bush said he was glad so many people of faith had supported him. i think that he was glad that people of his faith supported him. but i am a person of faith and i didn't support him.

the show went on to interview voters who had been inspired to go to the polls because of issues like gay marriage. one man said that, "if you are gay that is fine, that's your problem. but don't go against god by getting married. don't shove it down my throat." clearly its not fine and i don't think that this guy would be invited to the wedding. and if he were and he went, i don't think the couple would shove it down his throat by sodoming each other on the alter. i am baffled as to how someone can describe an act of vowing commitment and love, as shoving anything anywhere.

i talked to my mom on wednesday, because i was sad. she was sad too. oregon passed an initiative that would put a ban on gay marriage in the state's constitution. in my religion and ethics class my professor said that it was important for us not to write off all those red states in the middle as all republican, that we shouldn't generalize. he is right. oregon went to kerry but they still banned gay marriage. we can't divide ourselves. in my conversation i had with my mom i was very angry at the middle and the south of the country. but i am gettting over it. i just have a problem when people say they came out to vote on because of "moral values", and see a relationship of love and commitment that doesn't hurt anyone as immoral because it is between two people of the same sex, yet killing thousands of civillians in iraq in the persuit of...what? is not immoral. on another radio show i heard last night the host said, "it would be interesting to know what the republicans pray for, because they might pray for the wrong thing, like truth."